Vancity Vendor: Sachin Khona Photographer

British wedding photographer Sachin Khona is a world traveller and sometime during his journey Down Under, he met some new Canadian friends. They clicked and ended up travelling together each summer. He eventually made it out to Calgary to visit them one year and they drove through the Rockies and into Vancouver. Sachin just fell in love with the city. 5 years later Sachin grabbed his camera, packed his bags, and left the UK to start his new life here on the west coast. Sachin has been a wedding photographer for 3 years but has been shooting for 4. Since moving here, he’s been working with some top wedding photographers in the city and making his business known to Vancouver couples.

Sachin Khona Photographer provides wedding and portrait photography services. Collections start at $2,250 for 6 hours coverage and includes all the images, fully edited on a DVD with an online viewing gallery. However, typical collections can include a secondary photographer for additional coverage & creativity, engagement sessions, handmade flush-mount wedding photo albums & parent albums, slideshows, prints and canvases. Send Sachin an email to inquire or set up a free consultation. He likes to keep them pretty relaxed, you meet up, get to know each other over coffee, tea, or maybe even beer? He’ll also show you some galleries that relate to your style and your wedding. Sachin is a big fan of social media so you can find him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter to stay updated on what he’s up to and what pretty pictures he’s shot.

A Few Words With Sachin…

How did you get into photography?“I love travelling, meeting new people and seeing new places. I’m born and raised in London and I started to really enjoy street photography at first. Getting to know the locals in foreign countries was awesome and I eventually started shooting their portraits and improved quickly with the introduction of digital cameras. I kept travelling and kept shooting, improving each time I picked up my camera. I love learning by travelling and also attend other wedding photographer workshops.”

Why did you want to become a wedding photographer?“About 5 years ago I went to India for a friend’s wedding as a guest. After coming home with a lot of images, I decided to create an album as a gift to my friends of the wedding. Telling the story and capturing it the way I saw it unfold sparked my interest in wedding photography. I researched online and was blown away by what I saw. I wanted to take photos like that too! I then spent 2 summers assisting and shooting alongside a variety of photographers in Vancouver, Canada and in London, UK.”

What do you have to offer for brides with lower budgets?
“Although I offer several wedding packages, I can help with payment plans to ease cash flow and negotiate lower fees for reduced coverage if necessary without compromising on quality or story telling.”

What sets you apart from others in the same field?
“Well … I have an English accent?! … Haha but seriously, I love what I do and take real care in understanding my clients, their needs, what makes them unique and how they would like their story captured. I offer flexibility in my style as I believe no two weddings are the same. My main aim is to capture the emotions and moments unique to your day.”

How would you describe your shooting and photo editing style?
“My style is mostly documentary throughout the wedding day with a more of a hands-on approach for the bride and groom photos and bridal party photos. I’m inspired by my couples and the locations they choose to have photos taken in and love to shoot in unique places that mean something to them and their relationship. My editing style is very clean and natural. For the photo geeks out there, I love the look of film and aim to replicate this look in my images. Take a look at my website and see.”

What do you enjoy most about your job?
“The fact that it doesn’t feel like a job. It takes me to new places and connects me to awesome people which blows my mind. This year I shot I wedding in Corfu and later this year I’ll be heading to Kenya. Unreal.”

What was the most creative shot you took and how did you come up with it?
“I shot a wedding in Corfu, Greece this summer and I love this image because of the mystery behind it. The focus is on the connection in their hands, the suit and the dress. It’s different and totally unique to this couple. I was inspired by the surroundings and love shooting through things. The leaves were initially in my way but I quickly incorporated it into the shot and love it!”

Which part of the wedding is your most favourite to shoot and why?
“Definitely the morning portion as the bride and groom are getting ready. The anticipation of the wedding day ahead is something I love. This time in the morning allows me to build comfort with the bride and groom while also being really creative with my imagery. The ceremony is definitely a close second.”

Where is your favourite place/part of the city to take pictures for a shoot?
“Wherever the light is best. Seriously. I’m relatively new to the city so I feel I see it with a unique eye to others who may have lived here for their whole lives. I love however shooting in places like the beach, Stanley Park, Gastown and incorporating it into the photos BUT I also love shooting it in a way that no one would be able to tell where the photo was taken.”

Do you draw inspiration from other photographers?
“I attend workshops of photographers that I admire to learn from them but also look at many photographers outside of weddings. I’m really into portraits, fashion and travel photography and these different styles keep things fresh and exciting for me and inspire me to create things at the wedding influenced from these other styles.”

If you had one piece of advice for a bride and groom, what would it be?
“Really get to know your photographer as a person. Besides your partner, you’ll spend the majority of your time on the day of the wedding with the photographer. It’s important that you feel comfortable around them.”

To contact Sachin, visit his website.Do you have what it takes to be a Vancity Vendor? Apply here.

Vendor prices are subject to change. All prices quoted are accurate to the date published.